GRIFFIN

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Embodying an abstract vibrant beauty with an intriguing synergy of the old and new, Griffin and his work are both current and classic. While distinctly concerned with formalism yet unmistakably experimental, his images are heavily influenced by history and memory, simultaneously feeling baroque and minimalist in tone. Over the past 20 years, Griffin has instinctively been several steps ahead of the curve, constantly making new and innovative choices in his life and work.  Highly visually expressive and imaginative, he is one of the pioneering directors amongst the current renaissance within Contemporary Avant-garde film.

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Starting his professional directing career at the age of 23 in Japan, his work has been featured in exhibitions and festivals worldwide from the CANNES, ROME, ROTTERDAM and NEW YORK film festivals, with his ONEDREAMRUSH project, to ITALIAN VOGUE and DIANE PERNET’S 1 MINUTE LIGHT SERIES, SHOWSTUDIO’S FASHION REVOLUTION, and shown in countries such as Japan, Russia, China, Italy, England, Mexico and France. In a perpetual state of motion and on a quest for inner and outer knowledge, project after project he has collaborated with groundbreaking artists such as KENNETH ANGER, DAVID LYNCH, RODARTE, VINCENT GALLO, FLORIA SIGISMONDI, SEAN LENNON, YOKO ONO and clients such as Italian Vogue, SHOWstudio, Bacardi, American Rag CIE Japan, Sony Music and Universal Music, among others. Griffin’s work as a director, producer and curator transports him through the spectrum of visual and cultural media landscape.

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Born and raised in Boston, Massachusetts, Griffin showed gifts in the arts and learning from a young age, approaching the world around him with an uncontrollable curiosity and monastic-like focus and devotion. Excelling at English and History he went on to attend a New England boarding school with a large international student body, where he studied Spanish for three years, but unintentionally and quite unexpectedly mastered Japanese through osmosis. It was at this time that he first began exploring the medium of cinema, shooting and editing on the first generation of media Macs. Out of necessity, he taught himself how to use these very rudimentary digital tools, as none of the faculty at this time knew how to operate the fledgling technology.

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From 1996-2000, Griffin attended the prestigious University of Southern California’s School of Cinematic Arts, choosing a theoretical focus with a bachelor’s in Critical Studies and Film Criticism. In 1997, while still attending university, Griffin and a group of friends created one of the first independent video streaming sites, in a time when email was still a new form of communication and almost seven years before YouTube’s debut. They were amongst the first generation of digital filmmakers.

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From 1997 to 2007 Griffin lived between Tokyo and Los Angeles directing and producing projects in between both cities. In the summer of 2008 Griffin was asked by designers Kate and Laura Mulleavy of RODARTE to direct a film for Nick Knight’s SHOWSTUDIO. The resulting film VOX HUMANA which features a cameo from legendary Avant-garde filmmaker KENNETH ANGER, would go on to be shown in several film festivals and exhibitions as well as chosen as the first fashion film to launch with Italian Vogue’s new website in February of 2010.

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From 2008 to 2009, Griffin and his colleagues started the first short film festival in Beijing, China. Called ONEDREAMRUSH, the festival featured 42 of the top filmmakers and artists in the world who were commissioned to create 42 second short films about dreams. As well as working as a curator and producer on the project, Griffin directed a film for the festival, called TIEMPO, shot in Mexico City, starring musician turned director ADAN JODOROWSKY and the then unknown STEPHANIE SIGMAN. Also in 2008 he curated and produced a book of portrait series of artists in Los Angeles, photographed by MOTE SINABEL for Japanese client American Rag CIE, entitled HARMONY.

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In January of 2010, Griffin directed a film called MAVU, which was commissioned for a fashion film exhibition in Paris. Next, he was commissioned by Italian Vogue’s Franca Sozzani and Diane Pernet to direct a fashion film for their 1 MINUTE LIGHT SERIES. Griffin’s film for the festival, ZAN DARA premiered as part of the exhibition in Milano at PALAZZO MORANDO in May 2010. Since 2009, Griffin has also been a contributor of Diane Pernet’s visionary fashion, film, and art blog A SHADED VIEW ON FASHION.
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In August of 2010, Griffin moved from Los Angeles to Europe, where he spent the first 10 months between Paris and London. Griffin eventually settled in Berlin where he has been primarily based for the past 3 years. From 2011 to 2013 Griffin shot four films in Berlin, INNVERVORTEXTA, CAPITIS DOMININUTIO MAXIMA Vs. natural personEIN KAMPF DES EGOS, as well as his first piece with dialogue, DARKNESS IS DARKNESS. In May of 2012, while living and working in Mexico City, Griffin shot INTERNO which features his long time friend NATALIA ACEVEDO, who also stars in Mexican auteur Carlos Reygadas’s 2012 cinematic journey, POST TENEBRAS LUX.

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Currently Griffin is in Athens, Greece, planning his first solo art exhibition which will take place in September of 2014, thereafter traveling to over 10 cities globally within the next year. At the show’s center is INNERVORTEXTA, Griffin’s new Art film about catharsis and self-realization. The exhibition also features a series of fine art prints created from the film, as well as objects and products inspired by the film.
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In May of 2014, PRESENT FUTURE FILMS is excited to announce the launch of its #TIMETAKESTIME #SERIES. The film series, consisting 7 films of Griffin’s directorial work, premieres 1 new or unreleased film every 2 weeks, for the next 3 months. The first film to be launched in the series is Griffin’s 2013 EIN KAMPF DES EGOS starring Ugandan beauty SARAH BATT in an ethereal and almost mystic dance through the sands of time.

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Stay tuned to PRESENT FUTURE FILMS to see more of our #TIMETAKESTIME #SERIES in the coming months.

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For more information about Griffin and his work, please contact press@presentfuture.net.

 

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PRESENT FUTURE FILMS

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COMPANY DESCRIPTION COMING SOON. 

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PHOTO BY MOTE SINABEL
FROM HARMONY PORTRAIT SERIES BOOK